Tuesday, September 07, 2010

Lessons from brokenness

Sometimes I take a picture because it really speaks to me and then I decide that I want to share it with everyone who takes the time to read my ramblings.
So here's the picture:
Actually, you get more than one picture because I couldn't pick which one I wanted to use.
So, here's the thing.  I don't know the story of this tree.  It's likely older than I am.  But by looking at it I can guess some of its story.  It's kind of like reading a book, just without words.  Once upon a time I imagine that this tree was growing up big and strong.  It was probably just minding it's own business when something happened.  What that something was, I have no idea.  Maybe it was a big wind. Maybe it was lightening.  Maybe it was ice.  I'd suggest hurricane (see Love is... for my thoughts about trees and hurricanes), but I know where this tree lives and a hurricane is highly unlikely. Whatever it was, it broke the tree.  The tree bent right over at a 90 degree angle. I can't say whether trees have feeling or not, but anthropomorphize with me here for a moment and imagine that the tree does have feelings.  Being broken like that would hurt.  It would hurt a lot.  That's kind of a big deal.  I mean, one day the tree was big and strong, the next it was bent over and hurting.
Continuing to anthropomorphize, the tree had a choice here.  It could have given up and died.  That would have been easy.  It was hurting, it was broken, life as it had been was over.  What purpose was there in going on?  Or the tree could decide to try and make the best of it's new situation.  It could reach towards the light.  It wasn't going to be easy.  The tree was used to reaching up to the sky for light, for the very light that it turned into food, the light that sustained.  Now it was going to have to go in a new direction and reach out, out over the edge of the gorge and towards what little light it could see.  This was much harder.  The tree wasn't used to supporting its weight in a horizontal fashion.  It had never intended to grow this way.
From the picture you can see which choice the tree made.  It continued to grow and over time, its wound began to heal. Look at the first picture.  The bark has healed over the original wound.  New bark has been formed.  It wasn't easy and it took time, but it happened.
It made me think about my life.  Sometimes "something" happens and it hurts.  It hurts a lot and I have to make a choice.  I can either give up and quit, or I can keep going, keep fighting, keep struggling to reach towards the light and the life that it gives. Sometimes the "something" is really big and it hurts more than I think I can bear, but I serve a G-d who cares for me, even more than he cares for the trees (check out Mathew 6). No matter how bad the "something" is, He is going to provide the healing.  This is something I can rest in.

PS: I was trying to find a song to go with this, but I couldn't remember/find the one that spoke my heart, so no song.  Sorry!

2 comments:

Roweramo said...

wowza! I had noooo idea that you had a blog! love it. so glad to have something to read on you :)

Joy said...

now you can stalk me like I stalk you :)